The spirit of the antiChrist is already here
The four passages in the New Testament that use this term are unique to the apostle John (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7). The term itself is a transliteration of the Greek compound word 'anti-plus christos', meaning one who is “against” Christ.
John distinguishes between “the” Antichrist (1 John 2:18) and the “many” antichrists against whom we are continually fighting today. This is how you can detect the false teachers. They do not confess the Jesus who was described in the previous verse. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which has been prophesied and which is now already in the world. There are many today who are willing to say acceptable things about Jesus, but they will not confess Him as God Incarnate. They will say that Christ is “divine,” but not that He is God.
Although a sincere Christian should be aware of the Antichrist (the “man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10), far more caution is urged to identify and fight the spirit of antichrist that is already here!
To begin with, it should be noted that there is no specific word for “spirit” in 1 John 4:3. The English word is supplied by the translators to clarify the obvious meaning of the text, that it is the attitude or character of antichrist of which we are to be wary. Those who have this spirit are liars (1 John 2:22), mainly because they refuse to accept the truth that Jesus is the Christ.
Further rejection of that truth centres around the denial of the incarnation of Christ, that Jesus is the Creator God come in human flesh (1 John 4:3and 2 John 1:7). Those who would deny that truth embrace the very core of all lies and become anti-Christ.
Such persons are like the thief and the robber who harm the sheep (John 10:1), embrace another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), and teach other doctrines (1 Timothy 1:3-7).
From such as these we are to turn away (2 Timothy 3:5).
1 John 2: 18-27 From the time that Jesus pronounced judgment on this world, “the last hour” has been upon it, a final intensification of opposition to God that ends with the final Judgment. The prediction of “the Antichrist” is not from the Old Testament but from Jesus (Matt. 24:5, 24). This prediction began to be fulfilled in the New Testament era with those who denied the Father and the Son (v. 22) and left the church to propagate their false teaching (v. 19). Their denial of the Son was a rejection of the Father who sent Him (2:23; John 15:23). In contrast to the antichrists, believers have an anointing from the Holy Spirit (vv. 20, 27) that opens their hearts and minds to know the saving truth. The Spirit Himself is the best teacher; He will remain with us always and protect us from falsehoods that could lead us away from Christ. The Spirit abides wherever the message of the gospel is received, and wherever the Spirit abides, the Son and the Father are present as well (v. 24).
1 John 2:18 says it is the last hour. John will not satisfy the desire to “know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7); he characterizes the whole time between the first and the second comings of Christ as “the last hour” (cf. Acts 2:17; 1 Cor. 10:11). No matter how long this “hour” may extend in terms of calendar time, it remains true that “the time is near” (Rev. 1:3; cf. Rev. 1:1; 22:20) for all of God’s promises to be fulfilled.
the Antichrist is coming … many antichrists have come. This is commonly seen as a distinct prediction of many antichrists through the course of history, followed by a final Antichrist at the end (2 Thess. 2:3–10; Rev. 13:11–18). John, however, may be referring only to the sort of false teachers who already trouble the church (v. 22; 4:3).
